Washington Public Ports Association hires James Cockburn as Government Relations Manager
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Eric ffitch, Executive Director
360-763-1179 cell
OLYMPIA, Washington—The Washington Public Ports Association (WPPA) is pleased to announce the hiring of James Cockburn as Government Relations Manager. Cockburn will join WPPA on Oct. 30.
“We’re excited to welcome James to our team at WPPA and to the Washington port family,” said WPPA Executive Director Eric ffitch. “His background, experience and approach to advocacy and member service made him a clear choice for this role, and a good fit for our small but mighty organization. James will bring strong relationships, a good Olympia advocacy background, and experience working with a diverse statewide membership to an Association that thrives on those three elements. I’m confident he will augment our ability to deliver first-class services for our members.”
Cockburn will provide support for WPPA’s state legislative advocacy work, which covers a wide range of policy issues affecting Washington state’s public ports. The Government Relations Manager position will work with the legislative team to collaboratively build and implement the Association’s legislative program; he will be a resource for—and a connection between—WPPA staff, our members, and policymakers. The position will be instrumental in delivering a quality seminar program, one of the key values the Association provides to members and partners. The role is also important for the relationship building that contributes to reciprocal communication among all members and collective achievement of Association and member goals.
Cockburn has experience in advocacy, policy analysis and strategic communication in both the organized labor and public transit industries. For nearly seven years he worked for the Retired Public Employees Council, beginning as their administrative assistant and working his way up to the Executive Director role. In that capacity, his duties included supporting Council needs and key relationships; researching and advising on policy issues; and representing and communicating Council priorities to the Legislature. Most recently, Cockburn staffed and advised committees for Community Transit in a senior leadership role within the Finance and Administration Department. He began his career working on campaigns for state and local elected officials.
Cockburn has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Washington State University and is a native of Sequim, Washington. Outside of work, Cockburn is a wine enthusiast and enjoys traveling to Washington’s many premier growing regions. He and his family also enjoy Sounders soccer where he will join the current Executive Director as another soccer fanatic in the WPPA office.
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As a state legislative and regulatory advocacy organization, the Washington Public Ports Association (WPPA) fosters public policy for ports to achieve their goals. The WPPA was formed by the Legislature in 1961 to represent public port districts throughout Washington, serving as the focus through which ports work cooperatively to develop policy direction, share information, and address issues on economic development, trade, transportation, and environmental stewardship. Public port districts offer a wide range of locally governed services, including marine terminals, barge facilities, industrial development, marinas, airports, railroads, and tourism promotion.